Automatic clock



April 5, 1932. NORUM 1,852,474

AUTOMATIC CLOCK 1 Filed Oct. 12, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. NORUM AUTOMATIC CLOCK April 5, 1932.

2 sheets sheet 2 Filed Oct. 12, 1931 M0614 (Md;

Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE ABNOLD NORUM', F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF IO MINNIE KIMBALL KING, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON AUTOMATIC CLOCK Application filed October 12, 1931. Serial No. 568,407.

This invention aims to provide a calendar, operated by a clock, the construction being such that a mark indicating the day of the month will be displayed automatically, without attention on the part of the operator. The invention aims to provide novel means for mounting and driving the strip or tape on which the calendar is marked, and, generally, to improve and to enhance the utility of devices of that sort to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and 15 arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the lnventlon herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation showing a modification.

In carrying out the invention, there 15 provided a support or casing 1, which may be variously constructed, without departing from the spirit of the invention. As shown, but not of necessity, the support 1 embodies a base 2 and a top 3. The front of the support is marked by the numeral 4, the back appears at 5, and has a door 6. The end walls of the support or casing are designatedby the numerals 7 and 3. A horizontal partition 9 extends entirely across the casing 1, from side to side, and from front to back. Vertical partitions 10 and 11 extend between the horizontal partition 9 and the base 2, and between the front 4 and the back 5. Horizontal partitions 12 and 14 extend between the vertical partitions 10 and 11, and between the front 4 and the back 5. By the parts hereinbefore described, there is formed a central clock or motor compartment 15 in the casing 1, and a vertical calendar compartment 16 at one end of the casing, access being had to the interior of the casing 1 by means of the door 6.

Within the clock or motor compartment 15 is disposed a clock or springLmotor 17 which extends through a hole 18 in the front 4 of the casing 1, thereby to render the face 19 on the clock visible. The legs 20 on the clock 17 are received in seats 21, formed in the horizontal partition 14. A stud 22 on the top of the clock carries a clock handle 23, as usual. A holding device is provided, and thisholding device may be a set screw 24, threaded intothe horizontal partition 12 and adapted to engage the stud 22 of the clock 17 to press the legs 20 of the clock into the seats 21, thereby holding the clock firmly but remov ably in place. An actuating spring for the clock is marked by the numeral 25, to indicate that the device is a spring motor. One of the shafts of the clock 17 is designated by the numeral 26, and carries a bevelled gear 27, meshing with a bevelled pinion 28, on the inner end of a horizontal tubular shaft 29,

extended outwardly through the casing of the clock. The outer end of the tubular shaft 29 receives, detachably, the inner end of a short shaft 31, the construction being such that when the shaft 29 is rotated, rotation will be imparted to the shaft 31. The shaft 31 is journalled in a bearing 32 secured to the partition 10, and extended across a hole'33 in the said partition. A pinion 34 is secured to the shaft 31 and meshes with a gear wheel 35 on a shaft 36, journalled in the bearing 32. A shaft 37 extends across the calendar compartment 16 and is journalled in the end wall 7 of the casing 1. On its outer end, the shaft 37 has a turning button 38.. A drive roller 39 is secured to the shaft 37. The inner end of the shaft 37 is mounted in a socket 40 on the shaft 36. A spring 41 is carried by the socket 40 and bears against the end of the drive roller 39 on the shaft 37. The spring 41 serves to couple the shafts 36 and 37 together, so that when the shaft 36 is rotated from the clock work, the shaft 37 will be rotated also.

journalled in bearings 30 inthe clock 17 and If, however, an operator applies sufficient force to the turning button 38, then the shaft 37 can be rotated manually, independently of the shaft 36, the spring 41 constituting a slip clutch connecting the shafts 36 and 37.

In the compartment 16 there is a backwardly extending, U-shaped carrier 42, the forward ends of the side arms of which are pivoted at 43 to the end wall 7 and to the partition 10, so that the carrier 42ican swingverti:

cally. A winding drum 44' is journalledfor,

rotation at 45, on the intermediate portions of the side arms of the carrier 42. The 1111-- meral 46 designates a retractile strip, which acts like a pull spring. The lower end of this strip 46 is connected to theback part of the carrier 42, the upper end of the strip 46' being secured at 59 to the horizontal partition 9. The retractile stripior pull spring 46 bears on the curved end 49 of a downwardly extend- -ed, resilient brake 48, having its lower end connected to a cross bar 47 mounted inthe end wall 7' and in the vertical partition 10. Brackets 50 extend backward'ly from the front 4, within the calendar compartment 16,

"and in the .brackets50, a second roller 51' is journalled, as shown at 52. The numeral 53 designates an idler journalled onthe vertical partition 10 and on the end wall? and located below the second roller 51, in advance of the same, and adjacent to a transparent plate 55,

which is mounted in the front 4. The'plate 55 is shown in Figure 1, and for the sake of symmetry, a mirror 58, picture or the like,

may alsoibe mounted on the front 4, on the opposite side ofthe clock from the transparent plate 55; p

[AL flexible strip-or tape 54' is wound about.

the drum 44,,and is held against thedrive roller 39,by the action of thepull spring 46,

"whichcauses the carrier, 42 to swing upwardly, and causes the winding drum. 44 to, hold the tape 54 againstthe drive roller 39, as

aforesaid; From the drive roller 39, the flexible strip or tape 54 extends upwardly over the idler 53, behind thetransparent' plate 55, and

in parallel relation thereto. The upper end.

of the tape 54 iswound about the roller 51, and the curved end' 49 of the brake 48 bears againstthat part of the tape '54 WlllClIlS "wound about the roller 51. Here, note that the retractile strip or pull spring 46 has a function, in addition to raising the carrier 42,'in that the strip 46 bears on the curved end 49of the brake 48 and presses the end 4910f,

the brake upon that part of the tape 54 which is'wound' on the roller 51. Behind the transparent plate 55, at the top thereof, is mounted a removable tablet 56'which is inscribed with.

the current year. ,On its forwardface, the

"tape 54 is marked, as shown at 57 in Figurel,

with the" month, the day of the month, and;

the day of the week;

In" practical operation, the gear '27 driven by the 'spring actuated V clock train,

and imparts rotation to the pinion 28, the pinion 28 driving the shaft 29, and rotation being imparted to the pinion 34 by way of the shaft 31. The pinion 34 meshes with the gear wheel 35 which is located in the hole 33 of the vertical partition 10. The gear wheel 35 rotates the shaft 36, which carries the gear wheel, the clutch 41, cooperating with the drive roller 39, couples the shaft 37 to the shaft 36, and. the drive roller 39 is rotated...

Because the winding drum 44 is carried upwardly by the member 42 and the pull spring 46, rotation is imparted to the drum 44 from the roller-39, and the tape 54 is wound on the drum 44, the tape moving downwardly behind the transparent plate 55, andv exposing the marks 57, one after. another, as'the'days of the month pass. The tape 54 is drawn off the roller 51 and passes over the idler 53. The brake 4849-, being actuatedby the pull spring 46, keeps the flexible strip 54 taut, behind the transparent plate 55. If the operator wishes to roll down the tape 54, to set;

the device, or to compensatefor anyirregularities due to time errors in the operation of the clock, this can be done by rotating the drive roller 39 throughthe instrumentalit'y, of

the turning button 38, the shaft 37 turning the roller 39 independently of the shaft 36, owing tothe provision of the slip clutch 41,

and when the drive roller39 isturnedrmanu ally, as aforesaid, the winding'drum 44 will:

be driven frictionally fromthe roller 39,..and the tape 54 will be wound upon-the drum;44'.

The clock 17 i may be eitherspring-driven or electrically operated,.and may be of any size, to include street or tower clocks, oflice clocks, or any other time pieces, the calendar compartment 16. being made according to the size of the other portions of the-device.

The clock 17 may be stationary, notWiththe shaft 29a. extending'through the partition 10a, and the pinion-34a beingsecured directlyto the shaft 29a, and there being no occasion for the shaft'29a to be hollow at,

one-end as indicatedin Figure 4.

Changes of course are possible withingthe 'spirit of the invention. Thus, the bevelled gear 27, although shown. as secured directly on the shaft that carries the hour hand,migl 1t' be geared to that shaft, depending upon the 7 position occupiedby: the calendar 57iandrthe. transparent plate 55, and ifthe manufacturer wishes, he may omit the door 6, and leave the back of the casing 1 open.

The calendar strip 54:, which preferably is a roll of paper, with a year or more printed upon it, must be changed at intervals, as the days oi the week and the dates of the month generally do not correspond from year to year, a new calendar being printed and mounted in the calendar compartment 16, at or about the beginning of each year. If desired, the calendar strip 54 may carry a thirteen. month calendar, and the calendar may be perpetual, these being matters having nothing to do with the actual operation of the device considered as a whole. If it is neces sary or desirable to have a calendar that has to be changed, access to the calendar co1npart-ment from the front is desirable, and with this end in view, the part of the front 4 which carries the transparent plate 55 is shown in Figure 3 as being relnovably mounted in guide grooves 100, although some other means for making the number removable might be provided.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a drive roller journalled for rotation, a carrier mounted for swinging movement, a winding drum journalled on the carrier, a second roller journalled for rotation, a tape Wound about the drum and the second roller and disposed in contact with the drive roller, a brake engaging that part of the tape which is wound about the second roller, and spring means for operating the carrier to cause the winding drum to press the tape against the drive roller, said spring means cooperating with the brake to actuate the brake.

2. I11 a device of the class described, a drive roller journalled for rotation, a carrier, means for mounting the carrier movably, a winding drum journalled on the carrier, a second roller journalled for rotation, a tape wound about the drum and the second roller and engaging the winding drum, and a single spring means engaging the brake to actuate the brake and connected to the carrier to cause the winding drum to press the tape against the drive roller.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

ARNOLD NORUM. 

